Gas bearings have been used to support rotating parts in a wide range of
applications - from magnetic recording heads in computer disk drives to
gyroscopes and special machine tools. The advantage of gas bearings is
the very low viscosity of air compared to that of most oils used in
lubrication. As a result, not only is there much less frictional heat to
dissipate, but the bearing remains very nearly isothermal. Gas bearings
can thus support rotors spinning at much higher rotational velocities
than those lubricated with liquids. This book discusses models for the
behavior of gas bearings, particularly of the aspects affecting the
stability of the system. It begins with a discussion of the mathematical
models, identifying the stiffness and damping coefficients, and
describing the behavior of the models in unstable regions. It then turns
to apply these results to bearings: static characteristics and stability
of various rotor systems and an extensive discussion of air rings.